Beyond beautiful sarong kebaya and colourful shophouses, the Peranakan heritage is the unseen thread that binds Southeast Asian nations together. We asked our writer Ari about his fascination with the subject and he shared what he discovered on his travels around the region.

As a port city, Makassar in Indonesia is big on seafood and you will find the freshest ones right here. Still, you’ll be sure the city is more famous for its beefy fares. Our resident foodie (fondly known as Big Belly) loves Makassar’s beef, and so we decided to send ol’ BB here for an excursion to find out more about the city’s signature dishes.

Born in New Zealand to a Chinese father and Egyptian mother, and schooled in the UK and the US, Bobby Chinn was exposed to different cuisines and cultures from a young age. Passionate about good food, this boyishly charming chef, restaurateur, author and award-winning TV presenter shares his culinary journey with Travel 3Sixty° and reveals the one dish he’d whip up to melt a woman’s heart!

Photographs are my preferred travel souvenirs, and there are times when my most vivid memories of a city are of its food. One such trip was my stay in Wuhan, central China, where the variety of regional cuisines made a mark on my palate as much as the city’s own specialties did on my camera.

From leading technologies to jazzy fashions, Japan has been dominating the world stage from the middle of the 20th century. From hallowed customs and practices that have been refined over centuries to quirky and even bizarre expressions of mod culture, the charm of Nippon will last an eternity.

In Asia, food is a big thing. In many cultures people ask if you’ve eaten instead of greeting you with a ‘Hello’. Food is also sacred in many of these cultures and is often offered in prayer before the community partakes in the feast. Street fare is common and you’ll always find a stall offering hot food in the wee hours of the morning. Here are some of the best foods from Asia that have left an indelible mark on the ‘edible’ world!